Electric program-clock.



No. 744,608. PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903. J. W. POR'IIS. ELECTRIC PROGRAM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. 1903.

W oe l. mlm" IMI* L 'lllll f... 'ww lllllllu vf No. 744.608. PATBNTED-NOV. 17', 1903.

l J. W. PORTIS.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM CLOCK.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No MODEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. 1903.

WITNESSES! A TTOHNE YS.

PATENTED NOV. 1'7, 1903.

J. W. FORTIS.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM, CLOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 25. 1903. N0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903.

J. W. FORTIS.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM CLOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 25. 1903. N0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

W/NESSES.'

A UOHNE ys.

ma Nonnys PETERS co. Pnumumo. wAsmN-som D c.

PATEN-TBD NOV. 17, 1903.

J. W. FORTIS. ELECTRIC PROGRAM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.25. 1903. N0 MODEL. l6 SHEBTSSHEET 5.

Wl TNE SSE S.

A TTOHNE YS.

PATBNTED Nov. 17, 1903.`

' J. W. PORTIS.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. 1903. N0 MODEL.

6 SHBETS-SHEET 6. i

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' no. fir-14,668..

UNITED STATES Patented Novembel` 1'?, 1903.

JOI-IN PORTIS, OF BUIES CREEK, NORTII OAROIJNA.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM-CLOCK.

JEECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,608, dated November 17', 1903.

Application tiled March 25, 1903. Serial No. 149.549. (No motlelJ To all whom, it ntcty concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN W. PoRTls, of Buies Creek, in the county of Harnett and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Program Signal-Clocks, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a program signaling-clock designed to ring vibrating electrical bells at various points and at various intervals for schools, colleges, factories, and such other places or institutions where a daily program is necessary. For schools and colleges my device has three or more automatic circuit-switches, to one of which is connected by suitable Wires a large electric bell in the belfry of the school-building to ring calls for the students to go in at various times. No other bells ring when this does. From another switch runs a line to which bells are attached in the various recitationrooms. These bells ring at opening and closing of recitation periods, as desired, and no other bell or bells ring when these do. From another switch runs a line to the dormitory for sounding signals for study hours, for study-hours to close, for students to go to bed, for students to get up in the morning, and as many other signals as desired. No other bells ring when these do. These different lines are all operated from one battery, and this battery-circuit is never closed except while ringing signals on one of the lines.

The clock is provided with a program-wheel with various movable parts forgiving the various signals at various times,whieh programwheel is actuated by the clock and in turn automatically adjusts the several switches to direct the ringing-circuits through the three different and isolated signal-points.

In addition to the ringing of the bell-signals this clock shows the time from an ordinary time-dial, and the days ot' the week through an opening in ti ine-dial. The mechanism is so arranged that none of the signals will ring on Saturdays or Sundays or any other one or two days or more in the week, as desired. An arrangement is also made so that any one or more ot' the lines can be operated every day in the week or any one line-on any days, as desired, and any program desired.

Myinvention consists in the novel const-ruction and arrangement of the various parts of the clock, operating in the manner above described, as will be hereinafter more fully described, with reference to the drawings, in which- Figure l is a rear elevation of my programclock with the outer casing removed. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the principal parts of the mechanism shown in connection with a diagram of the circuits. Fig. 2 is a detail in edge View of the primary circuit-closer. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the clock-dials. Figs. I and 5 are enlarged details in perspective of the two secondary cireuit-closers. Fig. G is an enlarged detail of a portion of the program-wheel,showing the tripping mechanism. Fig. 7 is a front View, Fig. 8 a rear view, and Fig. 9 a top plan View, each partly in section and all showing the time-interval mechanism and the mechanism for operating the week-day dia-l. Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing how certain bell-circuits are thrown out on certain days ot the week.

In carrying out my invention I employ an ordinary eight-day clock having two mainsprings, one for running and the other as ordinarily used forstriking. Therunning mainspring operates mechanically the parts of the clock and my circuit-closing switches, and the other mainspring, which in ordinary clocks controls and operates a striking mechanism, has no such function in my clock, but is made to segregate or break up time into short intervals and close a switch and a main circuit in these intervals, and during which'intervals also other special switches may close individual circuits, the main circuit being normally open at all other times-that is to say, I have two systems of circuit-closing devices, both ot which are necessary to fully closing any circuit, one system being the circuit-closing switches operated by a program-wheel, and which I term the secondary7 circuitclosers, and the other system being what I term the primary circuit-closing device, common to all the circuits and which is operated at regular intervals by the striking' Yart of the clock, but only i'or a brief period during which any secondary circuit-closing switch is to be closed. his gives me the very desir- Iable result of requiring but one battery to actuate all the bells, and yetallows this battery ICO frs

: groove in which the toe tof lever B trails.

to be open normally, so that it does not rapidly run down, being closed only for a'very brief interval in which both the primary circuit-closer and a secondary circuit-closer are coincidently closed, it being understood that by the use of the ordinary interval striking mechanism of a clock I am enabled to close the primary circuit-closer for intervals of a few seconds only, while with a rubbing contact of a mechanically-operated switch actuated by the hour-hand of a clock the closure of contacts thereby is prolonged through a relatively longer period, which would allow the batteries to rapidly run down.

It will be understood that the mechanism for operating the primary circuit-closer is the ordinary striking part of a clock as made to strike the hours and half-hours during the day and night of twenty-four hours, which is wound up once every eight days, and which of itself I do not claim, but only its modified structure and its combination with the primary circuit-closing devices, which it is thus made to control.

In the drawing Fig. l, X is an eight-dayclock movement of the kind described, having the two mainsprings IVI and M', of which IWI runs the clock mechanism and M controls the primary or interval switch. The minutehand of this clock has its shaft extended through the back ofthe frame, and on the end of it is rigidly attached a small gearwheel ai, containing eight teeth, and into this is arranged to mesh another large gear-wheel A, which has one hundred and ninety-two teeth, or twenty-four times as many as the one with eight teeth, which large wheelIcallthe program-wheel. Thisprogram-wheelwilltherefore make one revolution in twenty-fourhou rs. This program-wheel A controls the secondary circuit-closing switches, and it shows the hours half in Arabic and half in Roman characters, 7 S 910 ll l2 l 2 34 5 6 representing the hours in the day-time and VII VIII IX X XI XII I 1I III IIII V Vl representing the hours of the night-time.

The program-wheel A has a deep circumferential groove around the same, Figs. 4 and 6, which receives and guides the toe t of an elbow-lever B. Said program-wheel is also perforated near its periphery with a series of small holes 7L, there being twelve such holes between every hour-mark, which makes the said holes tive minutes apart. There are therefore two hundred and eighty-eight of such holes, representing as many five-minute intervals as there are in twenty-four hours. These holes or perforations go through both llanges of the wheel on opposite sides of the In the said holes h, or as many of them as may be desired, there are placed removable pins p, which as the program-wheel rotates act one at a time upon the toe t of lever B and lift it till the pin passes by, as seen in Fig. 6, at which time the toe of said lever drops down behind the pin, being made to move its circumference two sets of radial arms E E E2 E3 and F F', which bear at their outer ends cams or shoes c and f. One set of cams e eX- tends farther from the center than the other set f, so as to have a different reach in acting upon the switches hereinafter described. These radial arms and cams are adjustable around the center of the progra m-wheel to any desired position, being xed in such position by screws c2f2, which pass through slotted portions of thearms and enter one or the otherof the two circular series of holes ef,foilned in the program-wheel. These holes are spaced at any desired distance apart, being, as shown, for hours and halt-hours. These two sets of cams e and fwhen the program wheel revolves with the minute-hand regulate the two secondary switches C C', D D', and C2 C C, through which the circuits are made to the several isolated sets of bells, while the triplever B, as operated upon by the pins p of the program-wheel, starts and stops the intervalmaking mechanism and opens and closes the primary switch.

Before proceeding to further describe the clock mechanism I will now describe the circuit-s and their connections with the isolated sets of bells and the switches of the clock, referring more especially to the diagram view, Fig. On the right-hand side ofthe figure are shown the different bells seggregated into the three classes, the dormitory-bells being shown at the top, the class-room bells in the middle, and the belfry-bell below. 'lhedormitory-bells, it will be understood, may be widely separated in the several dormitories, butarein one circuit to themselves. The classroom bells are placed one in each class-room in another circuit to themselves, and the belfry bell is in still another circuit and is placed in a tower and is a very large vibrating-bell, capable of being heard throughout the college grounds.

P is the battery which actuates the whole system, and P P2 P3 Pl P5 correspond to binding-posts on myinstrument, as in Fig. l, for connecting the wires for the bells, the battery, and the related parts of the clock mechanism.

The battery P is connected at one pole by a wire 6 with the binding-post P3, and this binding-post is by three branched wires '7 12 13 connected to one side of each ot` the three bell-circuits. The other side of the dormitorycircuit is connected by wire l, binding-post P', and wire 2 with a spring D. The other side of the class-room circuit is connected by wire 8, binding-post P2, and wire 9 with a spring C, which normally rests on and is in contact with metal support C', connected by wire 10 with metal support C2. The other side of the belfry-circuit is connected by wire 14.-, binding-post P4, and wire l5 with ICO IIC

IIC

spring C4. Beneath spring Gland above metal support Cgis a spring C3, having an insulated or non-conducting arm a (see Fig. 4) extending laterally into range of engagement by the cams e of the program-Wheel. Spring CS normally rests on C2 and is normally out of Contact with C4, but when any cam e on the program-wheel passes under and lifts arm a spring C3 is lifted from Contact with C2 and closes contact with C4, as seen in Fig. e, after the manner of a three-point switch. The spring C3 is connected by wire ll with Wire 3 and leads to the primary switch, hereinafter described, and this wire 3 is also connected toa spring D, which rests normally above spring C, but out of electrical contact with both spring C and spring D. The spring C has a laterally-projecting noncondncting arm 19,(see Fig. 5,) which extends into range of engagement by the inner set of camsfof the program-wheel. YWhen spring C is thus lifted by the passage of one of said cams, spring C is removed from support C and spring D' is pressed against spring D. The contacts D and D are the terminals of the dormitory-circuit. Contacts C3 Ct are the terminals of the belfry-eircuit, and contacts C C' and C2 C3 are terminals of the class-room circuit.

The battery P, it will be remembered, is connected on one side by wire Gand bindingpost P3 to one side of each of the three bellcircuits. The other side of the battery is connected by wire 5 and binding-post P5 to wire 4 and the metallic frame of the clock mechanism X. From the metallic frame the main circuit passes to the wire 3 through an interval circuit-closing switch, hereinbefore termed the primary circuitcloser. The mechanical construction of this circuit-closer is mechanically illustrated in Figs. 2 and 2iL by the wheel W and the insulated arm .V, the wheel being in electrical contact with the metal frame of the clock and the metal arm W being connected to wire 3. The wheel W has laterally-projecting cain-iiangesfw and canbemadetoturnthespace ofonecam-iiange every five minutes, and when a eam-fiange touches arm W the main circuit is closed through this primary circuit-closer, and when a cam-ange leaves the arm W the main circuit is broken. The intermittent motion of wheel W is caused by the power of the mainspring M', Figs. l, 7, and S, and its startinginto action is effected by the tripping ofleverB by the pins of the program-wheel. TWhile the wheel W may move the space of a cam-ange every five minutes, it must be understood that contact between arm W and the camiange is not maintained for five minutes, but only for a few seconds. This is eifected by making the Wheel )N move quickly while a caIn-iiange is touching arm NV and causing the Wheel to come to a standstill when the circuit is broken and arm W is between two cam-flanges. The means by which this is effected will be described farther alono.

the tracing of the various circuits it will be sufficient to remember that the primary circuit can be made and broken for a brief period every tive minutes between Wheel W and arm W or at such intervals as the pins p follow each other in the program-wheel.

For ringing class-room signals (see Fig. 2 the secondary switches are in the normal position of rest with C resting upon C' and C5 on C2, D D being open and C3 C4 being open. Now whenever a pin p lifts lever B Wheel TW turns (through mechanism hereinafter described) one space and closes contact temporarily with arm if and the circuit is made and class-room bells are rung over the following circuit: From battery P to wire 6, binding-post P5, wire 12, class-room bells, wire S, binding-best P2, wire 9, spring C, rest C', wire lO, rest C2, spring C3, wire ll, wire 3, arm W', wheel iV, frame of clock X, wire 4f, bindingpost P5, and wire to the other pole of the battery. The class-room bells will therefore be rung every time lever B is tilted, and while it may be tilted every tive minutes, it is, in fact, only tilted at such hours or fractions of an hour as may be desired, the pins p being put in the holes h of the programwheel at any desired points within five minutesj variation, but not every 'five minutes, as class recitations are longer than live minutes duration.

For ringing the dormitory-bells the classroom circuit is broken by cams f acting on arm l) (see Fig. o) and lifting spring C away from rest C/ and bringing D against D, which latter constitute terminals of the dormitorycircuit, which circuit is made over the following path: From battery P to wire 6, bindingpost P3, wire 7, dormitory-bells, wire l, binding-post P', wire 2, spring D, spring D/, Wire 3, arm 5W', wheel W, frame of clock X, Wire 4, binding-post P5, wire to the other pole of the battery.

For ringing the belfry-bell the class-room circuit is broken by cams e acting upon arm a (see and lifting spring C5 from rest C2 and bringing C3 into contact with C, which latter constitute the terminals of the belfryeircuit, which circuit is made over the following path: From battery P through wire 6 to binding-post P3, wire 13, bel'fry-bells, wire le, binding-post P4, wire l5, spring C4, spring C5, wire ll, wire 3, arm IW', wheel W, frame of clock X, wire 4, binding-post P5, and wire 5 'to the other pole of the battery.

It wilt be obvious that as many of the adjustable arms E and F, with corresponding cams e and f, may be used as may be desired. For the dormitory l prefer to use one arm F and with a short cam f to ring once in the morning and a nearly-opposite arm F with a long cam f long enough to hold the secondary switch of the dormitory-circuit closed-say forthree hours-tosignal study-hours atseven p. m.-the close of stndy-hours-say at nine p. tir-and for bed-time--say at ten p. m.

Fori There may, however, be separate cams for ICO IIO

IIS

these hours; but as the battery-circuit is only closed when a pin trips the mechanism of the primary-circuit closer this evening-dormitorycircuit closer may as well be held closed by a single long cam f.

I will now proceed to describe how the primary or main circuit-switch is automatically operated by the lever B at any time within five minutes variations by the tilting action of pins p, acting on lever B, as the programwheel A revolves. The upper end of lever B is connected by a light link or wire 19 with an arm B, Figs. 7 and S, of a rock-shaft 192, which has two radial arms 193 1911 attached to it. (See Fig. 9.) One of these radial arms, 193, passes into range ofl engagement to be struck by a pin 195 on a gear-wheel B3, which latter is a part of the ily-fan train actuated by the mainspring M', which is ordinarily a part of the striking mechanism of aA clock. The other arm, 191, lifts the long stop-arm 193, fixed to a rock-shaft 197, which stop-arm has a rightangular attened end that descends intothe radial slots 193 of the Wheel W and which has on it the cam-anges w, adapted to rnb against the insulated arm W. (See Figs. 2fL and 7.) On the rock-shaft 197 is another arm 1910, whose bent end rests upon a diametrically-notched disk B3, which is also a part of the fly-fan clock-train, and when the bent end of arm 1910 drops into one of the diametrical notches of the disk B3 then the long stop-arm 196 can drop into one of the radial slots 193 of the Wheel IV to stop that wheel, and when the long stop-arm 191i is lifted up by the disk B3, raising the arm 1910, then the train of gearing is released and the ily-fan operates and the wheel W turns one space until it is stopped by the long stop-arm dropping into one of its radial slots. When the arm 193 is lifted into the path of pin 195 on the gear-wheel B2 and the latter starts, said pin catches against this arm, and when a pin of this program-wheel allows lever B to drop this arm 193 is taken out of the way of pin 195 on wheel B2 and the latter turns, and so does the wheel W, and consequently one of its cam-flanges makes a brief period of contact against the arm W', and thus closes theprimarycircuitforashortinterval. Nhen wheel B2 is at rest, its pin 195 rests against an arm 1913 on rock-shaft 19, as seen in Fig. 8.

On Saturdays and Sundays the apparatus for school use is usually not required to sound any signals, and I will now describe how this is accomplished, reference being had to Figs. 3 and 9. Gis a dial behind the main dial of the clock and having seven radial subdivisions marked with the days of the week, which successively show through a window g in the main clock-dial. This week-dial is iixed to a shaft G, and at the rear end of this shaft there are seven radial arms G2, corresponding to the seven days of the weekdial. These radial arms are successively acted upon once every time the programwheelA rotates by means of an arm G3, Fig. l, on said program-wheel coming in contact with one of said seven arms G2 and moving the dial one-seventh of a revolution to change the day, showing in front once every twenty four hours. On the shaft of this week-dial there is a rigid disk G1, cut away at g1, (see Fig. 8,) through two-sevenths of its periphery to provide for the two days out of seven to be skipped, and on this disk rests an arm g3 of an elbow-lever, whose other arm g3 is allowed to drop into the path of the pin 1915 on wheel B2 Whenever the arm g3 falls into the cut-away space g1 of the disk. This elbow-.lever is tilted by a spring g, and when its arm g3 falls into the path of pin 1915 of the wheel B3 the latter cannot turn, and consequently the fly-fan mechanism is stopped,and there can be no movement of the primarycircuit-closing wheel W during the two days that arm g3 is in the notch g1 of disk G1. When the disk G1 rides against and tilts the arm g3 on Monday morning, the entire apparatus is operative again.

In some cases it may be desirable to have a certain set or sets of the bells rung on Saturdays and Sundays-as, for instance, the dormitory-bells. In such case I provide on the shaft of the week-dial three comm utating disks G5, GG, and G7, with brush-springs and circuit connections, as shown in Fig. 10, in which the dormitory-bells are arranged in circuitalways. The belfry-bell is cutout on Sunday and the class-room bells are cut out on both Saturday and Sunday, the disk G5 for the dormitory being unbroken, the belfry-disk G7 being cut out one-seventh and the class-room disk being cut out two-sevenths.

When the arrangement just described is in action, the elboW-leve1g3,wl1ich acts on a pin in the wheel that gears into fly-wheel, as in Fig. l, will have to be removed.

In making use of my invention I would have it understood that many changes may be made in the special construction and arrangement of parts without departing from my invention, as set forth in the claims hereto appended.

I am aware the program-clocks are not new, and I do not claim the same broadly. I am also aware that program-clocks have been arranged to be operated by electromagnets.

It will be perceived that my device while having the broad scope of utility described is not operated in any of its parts by electromagnets, being entirely mechanical in all ol its parts and requiring only a single battery for ringing all of the various bell-circuits, the life of which battery is also specially conserved and prolonged by the special devices described for maintaining a normally open circuit.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric program signaling device, comprising a battery, a multiplicity of separate bell-circuits with bells, a clock-gearing having two mainsprings, a program-wheel IOO IIC

rasees E) actuated by one of said mainsprings, a primary-circuit-closing device, mechanism for moving this primary-circuit closer at regular intervals, said mechanism being connected to and operated by the second inainspring and started into action bythe program-wheel and secondary switches for diverting the battery-current individually through any one of the separate bell-circuits simultaneously with the closing ofthe circuit by the primary-circuit closer, said secondary switches being arranged adjacent to and operated by the program-wheel substantially as described.

2. An electric program signaling device, comprising a battery, a multiplicity of separate bell-circuits with bells, a clock-gearing having ltwo mainsprings, a program-wheel actuated by one of said mainsprings, a primary-circuit-closing device, mechanism for moving this primary-circuit closer at regular intervals, said mechanism being` connected to and operated by the second mainspring and started into action bythe program-wheel, secondary switches for diverting the batterycurrent individually through any one of the separate bell-circuits sim ultaneonsly with the closing of the circuit by the primary-circuit closer,said secondary switches being arranged adjacent to and operated by the programwheel, a week-day dial having a shaft with radial projections extending into range of engagement by the program-wheel to be moved thereby once every day substantially as described.

3. An electric program signaling device, comprising a battery, a multiplicity of separatebell-circnits with bells, a clock-gearii'ig having two mainsprings, a program-wheel actuated by one ot' said inainsprings, a primary-circuit-closing device, mechanism for moving this primary-circuit closer at regular intervals, said mechanism being connected to and operated by the second mainspring and started into action by the program-wheel, secondary switches for diverting` the batterycurrent individually through any one of the bell-circuits simultaneously with the closing of the circuit by the primary-circuit closer, said secondary switches being arranged adjacent tc and operated by the program-wheel, a week-day dial having a shaft with radial projections extending into range of engagement by the program -wheel to be moved thereby once every day, and a disk with cntaway periphery and a tripping-arm dropping into the same and engaging in the drop with the motor mechanism of the primary-circuit closer to prevent its operation during a portion of the week substantially as described.

4. An electric program signaling device, comprising a battery, a multiplicity of separate bell-circuits with bells, a clock-gearing having two mainsprings, a program-wheel actuated by one ot said mainsprings, a primary-circuit-closing device, mechanism for moving this primary-circuit closer at regular intervals, said mechanism being connected to and operated by the second mainspring and started into action by the program-wheel, secondary switches for diverting the batterycurrent individually through any one of the bell-circuits simultaneously with the closing of the circuit by the primary-circuit closer, said secondary switches being arranged adjacent to and operated by the program-wheel, a week-day dial having a shaft with radial projections extending into range of engagement by the program-wheel to be moved thereby once every day, and a series of commutators correspondingin number t0 the bellcircuits and arranged as described to cut in or leave out through any portion of the week any one of said bell-circuits as described.

5. n a program signaling device, the combination with the minute-hand shaft of a clock; of a gear-wheel xed to the same, a program-wheel meshing with the said gearwheei and arranged torctate once in twentyfour hours and having the twenty-four hours spaced thereon, said program-wheel having also a circular series of holes around its periphery with movable pins located in the same, a tripping-lever having one end arranged to be engaged by said pins, Vand a time-interval device connected to and started into action bythe said tripping-lever substantially as described.

G. ln a program signaling device, the program-wheel having teeth on its periphery, a peripheral groove and circular series of lateral holes with movable pins in the saine, a tripping-lever arranged to trail in said groove and be acted upon by the pins as the wheel revolves, radial arms connected axially to the wheel and adjustable thereabout and having cams at their outer ends, a clock mechanism for rotating the program-wheel and switches and electric circuits substantially as described.

JOHN XY. FORTIS.

`iiitnesses:

E. F. YOUNG, V. L. STEPHENS.

IOO 

